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Five things you need to know today, and bye-bye Bengals?
On Monday, the usually zip-lipped Mike Brown gave a fascinating interview to the Enquirer out at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix. Brown ostensibly talked about his "yes" vote at the NFL owners meeting on Monday to allow the Oakland Raiders to decamp to Las Vegas. (Side note: Whoever is cutting Raiders owner Mark Davis' hair might be legally blind.)
Walk-On This Way excerpt: Before the NFL, Alex Erickson rose from obscurity at Wisconsin
Following a path similar as fellow walk-ons Jim Leonhard and Chris Maragos before him, Alex Erickson went undrafted last season. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, and though initially considered a long shot by many to make the roster, he showcased his talents in the preseason and won a place on the 53-man active roster.
Josh Norris and Evan Silva walk through the Bengals' top three needs and offer options for each of their draft picks. The Bengals seemed all set up front when they used first- and second-round picks on Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher in the 2015 draft. Ogbuehi now looks like a bust, and Fisher has failed to earn consistent playing time. C Russell Bodine is entering a contract year. As both LT Andrew Whitworth and RG Kevin Zeitler left in free agency, Cincinnati threatens to field one of the NFL’s worst 2017 lines.
Brown on Bengals' re-stocking and much more
In his semi-annual state of the message at the conclusion of the NFL annual meeting concerning his Bengals, club president Mike Brown typically didn’t mince any words Wednesday on a variety of topics. For one thing he believes his team is not re-building but “replenishing,” and while the critics have railed about the departure of some veterans say the team is in decline, Brown says the Bengals have planned for this transition with an eye to their recent drafts and the one next month with 11 picks.
Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown supports Adam Jones
Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown is fully in Adam Jones' corner. "He knows full well what he has done to himself," Brown told Bengals.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer at the NFL owners meetings Wednesday. "He regrets it. But it's been made into a public issue, and maybe I am overly tolerant. If so, so be it."
Returning to a 4-3 defense appealed to Bengals LB Kevin Minter
Now that the Cincinnati Bengals are three weeks into free agency, they have a more accurate picture of how the roster will look heading into the 2017 draft. We're taking a look at each position, how it changed in free agency and where it stands now.
Bengals' AJ McCarron: Not being shopped on trade market
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said the team hasn't received any offers for McCarron and doesn't plan to seek out a trade, the team's official website reports. "AJ McCarron is a valuable member of our football team," Lewis said. "No one has asked to trade him. We're not going to go out and seek a trade for AJ McCarron. He's a valuable member of the team. We've said that how many times?"
AFC North Bytes
Sashi: Browns 'not in position' to dump Josh Gordon
Are the Browns willing to part ways with eternally suspended wideout Josh Gordon? It doesn't sound like it. "We're not in a position at wide receiver to turn down a guy like Josh if we feel like he's settled himself," Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown said Tuesday at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
Steelers sign free agent defensive end Jason Fanaika
Even though the front office of the Pittsburgh Steelers indicated their focus is on the 2017 NFL draft, they still found the time on Wednesday to sign defensive end Jason Fanaika. He played his college ball at the University of Utah and spent 2016 on the practice squads of the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins
Marshal Yanda Won't Return Until Training Camp After Shoulder Surgery
The Pro Bowl right guard had surgery on his left shoulder this offseason, Head Coach John Harbaugh confirmed. Yanda should be '100 percent' healthy by training camp, and is already lifting and working out.
Random Bytes
CBS Sports Reporter Tracy Wolfson Talks Final Four, “Stealing Plays,” and Work/Life Balance
Great conversation with the sideline reporter. Tracy Wolfson, who is the lead sideline reporter for CBS Sports’ college basketball and NFL coverage, joins the podcast this week.
Christian McCaffrey Is the Top Running Back in This Year's NFL Draft
Christian McCaffrey Is the Top Running Back in This Year's NFL Draft:With such a strong running back draft class, should Christian McCaffrey be the top running back off the board?
Shorter NFL Overtimes Would Lead to Significantly More Ties
Shorter NFL Overtimes Would Lead to Significantly More Ties:The NFL may change their overtime rules again, and this change isn't good for fans. Be prepared: roughly 100,000 columns are being written as we speak as to why the NFL should adopt college football's overtime rules. Because that's what happens anytime the league talks about changing overtime rules.
The Non-Backfield Rushing in Review for the 2016 NFL Season
All-but-gone are the days of 350-carry seasons, as we’ve had just two running backs cross that threshold in the decade since Larry Johnson's 416-attempt season in 2006. Once an integral part, the running back rushing attempt is rapidly going extinct -- and the quarterback rushing attempt is still far too exotic for every team to regularly rely on.